What have I learned in the last month? Well, let me tell you. 🙂
- I can successfully live in a tent for a week. Honestly, I feel like I could be comfortable in a tent long term. It’s like your very own cave. Yeah, it may start to smell a little as it fills up with dirty clothes. And yes, you have to make sure that the rain flap doesn’t drip water into the inside and soak your stuff. But how incredible is it to fall asleep to the sound of nature all around you! (Crickets are seriously one of my favorite sounds.) There is also something oddly comforting about being able to hear the other 45 members of Z squad moving around in their sleeping bags. We are literally in this adventure together.
- I can survive without my gear for 24 hours. Yes, you will smell a little (seems to be the trend) and learn what it is like to share a stranger’s deodorant, but you will be free to recognize the simplicity of life. We don't need nearly as much as we think we do during a day. Yes, a change of clothes is nice, but learning to provide for each other’s needs as a team is so much nicer. (Thanks again Jessica for sharing everything you had with a stranger.)
- I like a lot more foods than I originally thought. If you were going to eat at training camp, you were going to eat whatever they put on the platter in front of you. Not only were you going to try completely new dishes, but you were also going to eat them with your hands and seven other people. (Yes, hygiene kind of went out the window. But what do you expect? This is the World Race.) Two months ago, if you told me I was going to eat what I ate at training camp, I probably would have been grossed out. Now, I like to take every opportunity to try something new. So far, I have almost liked everything I’ve tried. (Maybe God is giving me taste buds of steel.)
- Not everyone is meant to do the World Race. This isn’t the only way to serve the Father. It’s hard sometimes when a squad member feels called to drop out or postpone their race. I just have to keep remembering that my plans are not His. The Father has incredible plans outside of the World Race. (Right! Who knew?)
- I have to make sleep more of a priority. I am pretty sure that every member of my squad could vouch for this, but I did not like to go to bed at night. The extrovert in me comes out and just wants to go on adventures with people. Something about being outside late at night makes me come alive. Needless to say, I had to crash for several days to recover from my lack of sleep during training camp. (I would also like to take this opportunity to apologize to Z Squad for being that annoyingly loud person that you probably wanted to stab every night when you were trying to sleep and I was laughing or leading some other crazy shenanigan.)
- Do not put the names of your countries on your fundraising shirt. They will change. Actually, they will change multiple times. You will feel really dumb and a little embarrassed when you have to tell everyone who bought your shirt. (Attention family and friends: My route changed! As of now, my squad will be going to…drum roll…ZAMBIA, MALAWI, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, China, MONGOLIA, Thailand, Cambodia, VIETNAM, and Nepal! SURPRISE!!!)
- God’s plans are not my plans. They are better. I think this is kind of the theme of this season of my life. From squad changes to route changes to team formation. I wouldn’t have planned or guessed any of it, but I wouldn't change a single thing. The Unexpected is literally the best Race team that has every existed. Y’all should check these crazy amazing people out.
- The Holy Spirit really, actually, truly is alive and moving. What?!!? I’m not kidding you guys. In one week of training camp, I saw people healed. I saw lives changed. I saw people fall on the floor in awe of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is here and ready to use you to do incredible things in the name of the Father. Will you let it?
- Saying goodbye to people is a million times harder than I thought it was going to be. It motivates you to do crazy things like travel 2300 miles in 5 days to 9 cities to see 35 different friends. I may or may not have cried a couple times when I had to leave them. Eleven months never seemed as long as it does when I think about the relationships I’m going to have to leave behind.
- Books on tape are a lifesaver. Yes, it sounds ridiculously lame. However, when you are driving halfway across the country by yourself, would you rather have a CD that lasts 1 hour or a book that lasts 7? I can promise you that the second option will make the drive go by so much faster.
- Life is fun. Seriously though, every single day can be filled with adventures and laughter. Life is a gift from the Father, and I choose to wake up and thank Him for it by exploding with joy. Being happy and having fun makes everything else so much better. Hate working out? Try doing the 31 Day Squat Challenge with your roommates and literally fall on the floor laughing. Hate standing in long lines? Take the opportunity to talk and laugh with strangers. Not every day is going to be sunshine and rainbows. Sometimes, it is going to be harder than you even want to think about. But other times, it's going to be more fun than you can imagine. Either way, this is your life. It is a gift. How are you going to choose to live it?
